This Week in Tourism: The Summer Vacation Sunsets!

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a weekly column provided by the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau that discusses the impact of tourism on our region.

The next few weeks for families will be all about getting back in the routine of school, weekends and fall sports. However, it has been a wonderful summer all around the Meeting of the Great Rivers. And, the next few weeks hold a lot of activity to keep us busy through the mega fall season that is nearly upon us!

Today, you can catch the Wood River Triathlon, Alton Farmer’s Market, Back to School tour at McPike Mansion and much more! Tomorrow, don’t miss the ever-popular Peach Festival at Pere Marquette Lodge from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Think ahead for next weekend and buy tickets for the Rock the Hops event from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 19. It’s a great celebration of music and craft beer throughout most of the great venues in Alton.

And then, all eyes turn toward the sun and moon as the great solar eclipse comes to fruition on Aug. 21. If you don’t have something planned you should head down to the Alton’s Riverfront Park for some great music, food and fun. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. you can enjoy the sounds of Mars Needs Guitars. The magic Bubble Bus will be there from 11 to noon. And, Pig on a Wing Food Truck and Great Rivers Tap and Grill will offer some good eats. The first 1,000 people will receive free solar viewing glasses.

The other party to experience is at Lewis and Clark Community College as they celebrate their first day of classes and their eclipse themed Summer Garden Show, “Solar Flair.” Also, the Hakuna Matata in Grafton is hosting a solar eclipse cruise. Make sure you plan to step out with the community and region to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event!

Also the Amphitheater has a few more exciting events to push us through the start of fall, including the Food Truck Festival on Aug. 26 and a new event, the Alton Jazz and Wine Festival on Sept. 9 featuring Grammy Award winning artist Keyon Harrold and a few St. Louis mighty jazz groups. The event is free and runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Check out all of the details on everything going on in the region at www.VisitAlton.com. We may be saying goodbye to summer, but fall will continue us on the record breaking tourism season!